February Books 15) The Invisibles [#1]: Say You want A Revolution

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15) The Invisibles [#1]: Say You want A Revolution, by Grant Morrison (.co.uk, .com)

After this discussion I tried my local comic shop in Leuven and found very few of the titles recommended there. I did remember discussion of The Invisibles, strongly recommended by

[info]korvac

 and

[info]prosewitch

, equally strongly disrecommended by

[info]slovobooks

 and

[info]despotliz

. I am surprised that any of them managed to get worked up about it either way. Dane McGowan, high-school drop-out from Liverpool, is recruited by the Invisibles, a motley group of eccentrics with super-powers working (presumably for the forces of Good) behind the scenes of world politics. There is a storyline set in a hidden London reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere – I see that actually dates from two years after The Invisibles first came out, so I wonder if Gaiman has acknowledged any inspiration? Difficult to believe he hadn’t read it. There is then another storyline set in the French Revolution with the Marquis de Sade playing a key role, but this got a bit self-indulgent and had a peculiar sub-plot involving Percy and Mary Shelley which didn’t seem to fit in with the rest. Perhaps it is all revealed in subsequent volumes, but I won’t rush to buy them.

Top UnSuggestions for this book:

  1. The five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom
  2. The devil wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
  3. The secret life of bees by Sue Monk Kidd
  4. White Oleander by Janet Fitch
  5. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan